NEWS: The Divine Comedy @ O2 City Hall

Image by Kevin Westenberg

1993 saw the release of Liberation, the commercial birth of Neil Hannon’s The Divine Comedy. An articulate and well-poised album which, via twee compositions, took the listener on a wry journey through literature greats, chamber pop and even the psychedelic influence of the Kinks. From that moment on, the momentum only built. From Promenade’s phenomenal and ambitious baroque ode to French cinema, to the harrowing and eerie sounds across Fin de Siècle, The Divine Comedy have been challenging boundaries and creating magical realms of sound to the delight of critics and fans alike. 

With three decades spent curating a stellar catalogue of whimsically sarcastic, educated and infectious releases, reimagining and fine tuning the grandiose nature of Scott Walker, Lee Hazlewood and The Beatles while streamlining it into modern, engaged pop records, it only seems apt to wholeheartedly celebrate. 

Charmed Life is that celebration; the ‘best of’ album, featuring Hannon’s finest penmanship, was released in February and features such gems as Songs of Love, National Express, Generation Sex, Everybody Knows (Except You), Tonight We Fly and many more. Saturday 14^th May sees this amazing celebration of hits arrive at Newcastle’s O2 City Hall, promising to be an essential experience for anyone besotted with the prolific artist as well as the perfect starting point for anyone seeking an introduction into the wonderful world of The Divine Comedy.

The Divine Comedy play O2 City Hall, Newcastle on Saturday 14^th May.